The Capital of Slavery: Washington D.C. 1800-1865 - a book discussion

words by charles brooks

Book Discussion: “The Capital of Slavery: Washington D.C. 1800-1865” by Gerald Horne

What myths are shattered with his newest work?

The current political moment compels a clear analysis of history to understand the forces shaping today's material and political conditions. 

Dr. Horne’s analysis, research and intellectual production bring clarity to a moment defined by uncertainty, confusion and chaos. His diverse body of work includes over 40 books as settler colonialism, (racial) capitalism and white supremacy became the focus of his scholarship in recent years. 

He is frequently interviewed as a recurrent guest on several radio shows and podcasts to share his observations and analysis of recent developments in national and global politics. 

Dr. Horne recently visited Sista’s Place in Brooklyn, New York to discuss his newest book, “The Capital of Slavery: Washington D.C. 1800-1865”.  The book is another installment in his body of work, highlighting the counter-narratives and contradictions dispelling those strongly held myths of American history, particularly around the nation’s founding.   

For over two hours, Dr. Horne framed the discussion around his long-standing thesis/analysis, incredible insights from the book as well as his observations and analysis of current events in both national and global politics.  

Book insights 

His book, "The Capital of Slavery: Washington D.C. 1800-1865”, is in direct opposition to the groundswell of literature that Dr. Horne maintains, seeks to retell a romanticized view of the founding of the United States of America. 

He points to the “cyclonic burst of propaganda” already in motion in preparation for next year's 250th anniversary of the nation's founding, “...It's already begun…with regard to some of the attempted distortions of the history of this country up to and including circumscribing the Smithsonian Museum, action our history of Washington DC, to it including trying to remove photographs of beaten Africans with scars on their back because it doesn't comport with the historic narrative of the founding of the United States…” 

Dr. Horne describing Raoul Peck’s 2021 documentary, “Exterminate All the Brutes” as a “sweeping castigation of settler colonialism”, allowed him to segue to his long-standing critique/thesis on the setter colonialism and class collaboration question where he calls out the white left.  

“...Interestingly enough, this is rather disheartening that the term settler colonialism is increasingly being used to describe historic Palestine but I'm sure the Israel patriates and the Israeli lobby in this country are prime to accuse those who used that descriptor for historic Palestine, don’t use it for America. They start to shout anti Semitism, in terms of using it for Israel but not the United States of America…” 

Dr. Horne extended his analysis to include the connection he typically makes between anti-Black racism and what has happened in the Israeli West Bank settlements. “...Those of us who examine settler colonialism know that inherent in settler colonialism is class collaboration, Horne continues, “Look at the settlements in the West Bank, for example…there is a kind of parallel between what's happening in the West Bank, and what transpired in the United States of America. I would likely think that the proliferating movement into this country, in solidarity with the Palestinians has to do with the parallelism between these two movements. 

In addition to Peck’s work, Prof. Horne recommended similar works of counter-narratives such as, Tyler Stovall’s, “White Freedom: The Racial History of an Idea", Ishmael Reed’s, The Haunting of Lin-Manuel Miranda, Belle, the 2013 movie depiction of Dido Elizabeth Belle, and “The Book of Negroes”.   

In sharing details from the book, he tells an intriguing story of the War of 1812 fought on two fronts, one from the British, the red coats. and the other, from Black people, the unpaid and free. He dissects what he describes as the “ticking time-bomb” - a series of events leading up to eventual collapse of the nations' capital in August 1814.  

This is where Dr. Horne directs attention to the large population of Blacks in the DMV area, the Haitian revolution that ignites not only a crisis of the entire slave system, but slave revolts as well. 

He highlights a contradiction - one grounded in fear, such as in the post office where there was a  “real nervousness” of Black postal workers using the postal system to send, abolitionist literature, anti-slavery literature, and seditious literature, “...and as I point out in the book, there was a real fear of this population that the enslavers were depended upon. so that obviously a toxic combination when you're fearing those who were propelling your economy. On the one hand, you want to exploit them to their last breath, on the other hand, you want to get rid of them….”

Dr. Horne also outlined several of the ugly realities of slavery - the exploitation and treatment of black women, the afterlife of slavery, that includes rape culture, sex slaves, house of prostitution and breeding.  To underline his analysis, he points to Amrita Chakrabarti Myers' book, “The Vice President’s Black wife; The Untold Life of Julia Chinn” a study on the life of Julia Chinn, the Black enslaved wife of Richard M. Johnson, who served as vice president under President Martin Van Buren.

Recent developments

He went on to discuss the precedent set with reparations being paid to owners of the enslaved to England’s colonies like Jamaica and Barbados while highlighting the connection of uncompensated expropriation of private property, to the rise of Klan terrorism. Dr. Horne amplified the parallels between the collaboration between liberals and conservatives enabling anti-communism and the Red Scares of the past to today’s iteration that now includes a "Blue" Scare.   

This is where Dr. Horne transitioned from discussing his book to sharing his acute observations and analysis of the recent developments on both the national and global stage. 

He began to outline what he described as the “graphic of crisis” - a montage of threats that paints a picture of American imperialism in crisis, seemingly centered on the rise of China. 

He points to nervousness and anxiety over China’s recent military parade coupled with threats to restrict their exports of rare earth minerals. They’re a critical element used by several industries, including artificial intelligence as threats pose enormous global implications. Prof. Horne also brought into the discussion the significance of recent meetings between China’s president, Xi Jinping and Pres. Trump. 

Dr. Horne’s analysis this October evening is both an example and a critical reminder of the analysis needed today to inform our political life. His analysis compels a different discussion about American history, American imperialism, racial capitalism and fascism. 

Dr. Horne's work reminds us that understanding our history is a weapon in the fight against fascism.  

Additional Reading

Notes from Around the Horne, weekly updated list of articles reviewed by Dr. Horne for his weekly show. 

Around the Horne, You-Tube channel from the Activist News Network

Gerald Horne's interviews, De Facto Podcast

How are community-based organizations addressing crime in Baltimore City?

words by charles brooks 

“…the power of the community is demonstrated in the decline of crime…”, Maryland State Public Defender, Natasha Dartigue

From 2015 through 2022, the murder rate exceeded 300 bodies every single year. Then the murder began to decline. Significantly. In 2023, there were 262 bodies. In 2024, barely 200. At the June half-year mark in 2025, the count sits at 68.  

There’s a different story unfolding in Baltimore with a new chapter being written. Not by Hollywood scripts or media narratives, but by a network of committed organizations dedicated to their community and neighborhoods. Their story starts with meeting the moment with a heightened sense of urgency in the neighborhoods and communities where trauma is amplified yet muted. 

Today’s reporting of crime, particularly when concentrated in Black neighborhoods, draws a lot of attention from elected officials, media outlets, and even from Hollywood.  But what often escapes the headlines are the self-determined actions taken by people who live in these neighborhoods. 

Those actions were highlighted during a recent public discussion held in Baltimore City that asked, and answers a critical question; What’s actually reducing crime? Community power. 

The Maryland Office of Public Defender (OPD) brought together Tyrone Kent, who serves as director of Roca Baltimore, and Anthony Muhammad, the community engagement specialist with the We Our Us Movement, to talk about the efforts taking place in neighborhoods around the City to save lives by changing the street culture. 

For nearly two hours they talked about the daily investment being made through a wide range of activities and actions taking place in neighborhoods across Baltimore City. Their responses to the moderator’s line of questioning provided deep insight into the steps taken to reduce crime and stabilize neighborhoods in Baltimore. 

As Mr. Muhammad explained, “…when we show up on your block, at your door, on your corner with 100 men, 200 men, with a message of hope, a message of inspiration, and services and resources that can improve the quality of life - that has an impact. That makes a difference…”  

They described a community-based framework with the capacity to meet the immediate material needs of people by providing the key services and resources to support their personal economies such as employment, housing, food, or drug treatment. Mr. Kent talked about the difficulty in engaging with people when their immediate needs are not being met, and how important meeting their most immediate needs are, “The first conversation is the most crucial conversation…”

He went on to say, “…coming into the community, satisfying needs, it’s hard to get people to receive services or even to entertain a conversation about services when they have a lot of needs. When they have a need, it's not a need that can wait until next week.  They have an immediate need, but you are trying to have a conversation about a program. But what can you do for me right now.”

An essential component in their work around saving lives starts with recognizing the very real challenges that people experience in their personal economy. They recognize that addressing urgent needs like food, rent or just keeping the lights on helps to reduce the anxieties, and distress that comes with trying to make ends meet. When comfort and trust develop, the people are more receptive to a message of peace, and open to becoming an active participant in resolving conflicts. 

Mr. Muhammad spoke about establishing the “Stop the Beef” hotline, and made this point,  “…and even though the hotline is active over the last five years, it has evolved into really a movement, a network of people who collaborate the work all around the city, where when the citizens are having problems that they themselves cannot resolve, we ask them to call the hotline to call us and let us come and mediate that conflict.” He went on to say, “…and over the last five years, we have earned the credibility, the respect of the people who are out in the community, who know us and know us very well, and they know that when they call us, they are not calling BPD (Baltimore Police Department). 

Mr. Kent talked about the importance of providing wrap-around services along with addressing the critical behavioral and emotional needs of young Black men. He spoke about using and applying the Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to help the young men who pass through Roca’s doors in not only building the personal skills of young men but redirecting their negative thoughts and behaviors. 

He described the benefits these young men experience when they are able to identify and change their negative thoughts and behaviors. 

To underline his point, he painted a picture of what happens when negative thoughts and behaviors are

left unchecked, “…and now I have this handheld machine, and all I have to do is pull the trigger to eliminate what’s causing my discomfort because nobody ever told me how to regulate my emotions…”.  Mr. Kent continued the conversation, discussing the different tools and support Roca uses to transform lives.  

The conversation was important because it provided a window to the activities and actions taking place in Baltimore City.  Actions and activities that clearly dispels the notion that Black people are okay with crime and are not taking self-determined measures to address crime and safety in their communities and neighborhoods. 

WHAT CAN WE LEARN FROM MAY 13TH?

words by charles brooks

Mother's Day is just not the same for this working-class community in Philadelphia, where 6221 Osage Avenue sits. The people remember May 13th, 1985. 

The people remember the tragedy of May 13th, 1985, ensuring its place as one of those days that will never be forgotten. May 13th occupies a strong hold on our collective memory because it’s not just another typical reminder of another typical routine episode of police terror and state violence.  

Forty years ago, Philadelphia’s political leadership, Mayor Wilson Goode, Police commissioner Gregore Sambor, Fire Commissioner William Richmond and managing director Leo Brooks collaborated in their decision to orchestrate a destructive military style attack, targeting a group of Black revolutionaries. 

They made a politically calculated decision to not only unleash 500 police officers to fire 10,000 rounds of ammunition, disperse teargas, and forcefully pump thousands of gallons of water into the home where MOVE members lived but to drop powerful C4 explosives there as well. A decision that cost the lives of 11 Black people including 5 children, where over sixty homes were destroyed and over 250 people were now unhoused. A decision to allow the fire to spread as firefighters were relegated to mere spectators, taking no action as they watched the fires burn one house after another.  

The Mother's Day attack was actually the result of recurring episodes of police terror exercised against MOVE, who engaged in a political life and political activities staunchly opposed by both the Mayor and the police. For several years before Mother's Day 1985, there were a series of confrontations between MOVE and the police that led to the August 1978 shooting in Powelton Village. 

The charging of nine MOVE members with the death of one police officer at Powelton, triggered their transformation from Black revolutionaries to the MOVE-9, political prisoners.  All were sentenced 30 years to life; Merle and Phil Africa passed away in prison. The remaining seven collectively served over 280 years in prison before their release; Debbie Sims Africa (over 39 years), Mike Africa Sr,  (40+), Janine Phillips Africa (40+), Janet Holloway Africa,  (40+), Eddie Goodman Africa (41), Delbert Orr Africa, (41+), and Chuck Sims Africa, the last to be released after serving over 41 years.

The contradictions continue. 

Despite two investigations of the Mother's Day attack, no indictments were handed down. No prison time. None. 

Except for Ramona Africa.  She was the only adult survivor from the Mother's Day attack along with her younger brother, Birdie Africa. But it was Ramona who was arrested, charged, and convicted before serving seven years in prison as a political prisoner.  

The Philadelphia Special Investigation Commission, also known as the MOVE Commission, was created less than two weeks after the attack. They investigated, and held televised public hearings before issuing their report, where they stated in part: "…The Mayor abdicated his responsibilities as a leader when, after midday, he permitted a clearly failed operation to continue which posed great risk to life and property. The report outlined 38 suggestions or recommendations for future improvements. 

A year later in 1986, a grand jury was convened to determine whether criminal charges should be levied against any of Philadelphia’s leaders. Two years later in 1988, the grand jury found no evidence of anyone acting with “criminal intent, recklessness or negligence under Pennsylvania law, and therefore no criminal charges could be brought.”

Year after year, for 35 years there would be no apology forthcoming. None. Not from the mayor’s office, the Police Department, Fire Department, or Philadelphia’s City Council. This finally came to an end in November 2020 with the Philadelphia City Council's hollow recognition of May 13th as “annual day of observation, reflection and recommitment.”

But just a few months later in early 2021, new revelations emerged shedding light on what happened to the forensic remains after the MOVE bombing. 

Anthropological collections maintained by the University of Pennsylvania and Princeton University contained the forensic remains of one or two MOVE members. The remains were used as a case study in their research and study of forensic anthropology, as well as in their online course, “Real Bones: Adventures in Forensic Anthropology”

The controversial revelations not only raised serious questions and concerns but provided a window to the long history of medical experimentation and exploitation on Black people beyond the likes of Henrietta Lacks and the notorious Tuskegee Experiment. 

The May 13th assault is often seen through a lens that’s particularly focused on the sordid history of policing in Philadelphia - typical of policing in Black working-class communities throughout the nation.  Focused on the manner in which law and order is practiced in Black communities, particularly in their reaction to the pursuit of Black liberation via revolutionary activities.  Through a lens wide enough to observe the menacing intrusion of state surveillance that often resulted in the harassment and political imprisonment of not just men, but women, as well. 

The significance of May 13 continues to grow and resonate with working class Black folk people because they can see the contradictions on public display, the current political conditions shaping their political lives, their political reality.  

Harriet Washington makes this point to think about in her book Medical Apartheid, “It reveals how Blacks have historically been prey to grave-robbing as well as unauthorized autopsies and dissections. Moving into the twentieth century, it shows how the pseudoscience of eugenics and social Darwinism was used to justify experimental exploitation and shoddy medical treatment of Blacks.”

Additional information

West Philadelphia Collaborative History - MOVE

Philadelphia & MOVE - LibGuides at Community College of Philadelphia

Mahmoud Khalil’s Attorney: “This Is the McCarthy Era All Over Again”

 By Majorie Cohn, TruthOut

A federal judge in New Jersey will soon issue a ruling on where the deportation case of Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian student who led the student encampment at Columbia University last year, can be litigated. On March 8, Khalil was abducted in New York by agents from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) who told him his lawful permanent residency status had been “revoked.” He is now languishing in a notorious Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) jail in Louisiana, more than 1,000 miles from his U.S. citizen wife who is over eight months pregnant, while U.S. District Judge Michael E. Farbiarz decides where his case will be heard. Khalil has been charged with no crime.

House rejects GOP amendments, gives final approval to bill creating Reparations Commission

 By William J. Ford 

Maryland would become fourth state with a commission; it would study ‘appropriate benefits’ for those affected by ‘historical inequality’

It’s done.

The House of Delegates gave final approval Wednesday evening to a bill that would create a Maryland Reparations Commission, sending the measure to the governor for his signature.

Measure that amends Florida’s compensation law for the wrongfully incarcerated passes Senate

 By Mitch Perry

A bill that would make it much easier for individuals wrongfully incarcerated to receive compensation has cleared the Florida Senate, and needs just one final vote in the House before going to Gov. Ron DeSantis’ desk.

Basic Reforms to New York’s Legal Code Are At Risk as Democrats Lurch Rightward

 By Schuyler Mitchell

A push to claw back a process-oriented change in New York’s criminal legal code shows just how readily Democrats will capitulate to carceral demands in 2025.

Here Are the Texted War Plans That Hegseth Said 'Nobody Was Texting' on Signal

 By Jon Queally

In response to U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth claiming on live television earlier this week that "nobody was texting war plans," The Atlantic magazine on Wednesday morning published the "war plans" that were, in fact, shared on the private sector messaging app Signal by top members of President Donald Trump's national security team, including Hegseth and national security advisor Mike Waltz.

“I will wear my persona non grata as a badge of dignity”, said South African ambassador expelled by the US

 By Pavin Kulkarni

“We must enter into trade negotiations with the USA because our economy and our people need them. But we must never trade our sovereignty, lest we be told that China and Cuba cannot be our friends,” said veteran diplomat Ebrahim Rasool on his return to South Africa.

Cheering crowds thronged outside the Cape Town International Airport on Sunday, March 23, to welcome the South African ambassador expelled from the US after being subjected to repeated attacks for his stance in solidarity with Palestine.  “Ebrahim Rasool is a race-baiting politician who hates America,” US State Secretary Marco Rubio accused in a X post on March 15.

Trump’s school choice push adds to momentum in statehouses

 By Robbie Sequeira

Federal moves might provide additional money for universal vouchers and scholarships.

More than a dozen states in the past two years have launched or expanded programs that allow families to use taxpayer dollars to send their students to private schools. Now, President Donald Trump and Republicans in Congress want to supercharge those efforts.